Electoral Politics May be Messy, but It’s Better Than the Alternative

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October 15, 2012

On his show Saturday, Christopher Hayes defended process against the backdrop of the vice presidential debate, during which Martha Raddatz questioned the “negativity” of both tickets’ campaigns. The nastiness of electoral politics may put us off, Hayes says, but it’s how “we as human beings channel and resolve conflict in a non-violent fashion.” The European Union, which is taking flack for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, despite its ongoing crisis, represents the triumph of process in maintaining peace on a continent “that was the site of some of the most horrifying war, violence, brutality, sadism and genocide in the history of the planet.”